In Spain, spring frost caused poor flowering of apricots, which was reflected in qualities through the season, Jörn Reimers, managing director of ARUS August Reimers & Sohn GmbH at the Hamburg wholesale market, tells us. "Demand was accordingly relatively weak, while prices were at a low level. In this context, the cold not only led to a lower Brix content, but also to smaller calibers. On the other hand, since the blossoming of peaches and nectarines started later, the quality of these products was much better."
He has been working with a supplier in Spain in this regard for about 20 years, he said, and he remains loyal to that supplier. "In addition to that, we also offer produce from France to ensure the completeness of our range. Italy has improved its production, but on the one hand we lack a reliable supplier for this product segment, and on the other hand there is also the problem that the quality of Italian goods varies significantly."
Jörn Reimers
Premium product harder to market
According to the wholesaler, the high gas prices in 2022 meant that Dutch farmers sold their gas quotas and made more money from them than from growing their own. "Especially since there was generally far less production in the Netherlands than in previous years. Spain, in turn, was affected by extremely bad weather and cold, which is why volumes were also lacking. These are the real reasons for the price increases. However, this is beyond the understanding of consumers." Due to the weather, he said, prices for potatoes were very high, while high prices were recorded for tomatoes and cucumbers in the spring. "But these are also consequences of weather conditions. The drought in particular will have an impact on other areas this year." In this regard, Reimers believes that politicians have a responsibility to better communicate this fact.
He says his company had built up a customer base over many years before the pandemic that bought goods at a higher price level because corresponding qualities were also offered. "However, the price increases in this country have wiped out what we have built up over the years. There are definitely still a few customers who are also willing to spend more for high-quality goods. This year, however, many have saved the money for the vacations."
Lack of employees, stable business
"Pretty much all wholesale businesses had problems due to the high prices at the beginning of the year. Especially the assortment from Spain was extremely expensive. Fruits and vegetables are just very dependent on the weather." Finding new employees is also proving very difficult at the moment, he said, while the morale of the newcomers leaves much to be desired. "People seem to lack a sense of belonging to the particular company. Fortunately, though, my son is now on board, but our sales team is also staffed with young people."
Further information:
Jörn Reimers
ARUS August Reimers & Sohn GmbH
Auf der Brandshofer Schleuse 4
Gang K Stand 414/415
20097 Hamburg
Telefon: (+49 40) 3 25 85 00
Fax: (+49 40) 32 58 50 20
info@arusgmbh.de
https://www.arusgmbh.de
